Reception Aboard the New Queen Elizabeth

After the new Queen Elizabeth docked in Los Angeles for the first time on January 29, 2011 a special reception was held on board the new Cunarder. Everette Hoard, my dear friend who let me wear Commodore Geoffrey Marr's uniform, presented Captain Julian Burgess with a special plaque on behalf of the Steamship Historical Society of America. His speech was eloquently moving by all accounts, and was a splendid example of the bond that exists between ships and the people who truly love them.


Front row: Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn; Captain Julian Burgess; British Consul-General Dame Babara Hay

Back row: Dr. Scott Gray, San Pedro CVB; Christopher Chase, Port of Los Angeles; James Callahan, Metro Ports; Everette Hoard, Steamship Historical Society

The New Queen Elizabeth in Los Angeles

The new Cunarder Queen Elizabeth arrived in Los Angeles for the first time early this morning. My friend and I arrived early in an attempt to see her dock, but she had already done so by the time we got down there (at 6:45 am). Being the amateur photographer and nautical nerd that I am, I took a tremendous amount of pictures of the new Lizzie.

There weren't very many people out and about when we first arrived - both on land and the ship. Through my binoculars, however, I saw an officer on the bridge looking over something while drinking a cup of tea. After my friend and I checked out the nearby Lane Victory (a WWII-era Liberty ship), however, the terminal was buzzing with activity and a helicopter circled around the Elizabeth and undoubtedly filming a segment for the local news. It isn't, after all, just everyday that a ship makes its maiden call at a port.